Battle of Iwo Jima
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On 19 February 1945, Operation Detachment began at 08:59 on the volcanic island of Iwo Jima. Iwo Jima, in English meaning “sulfur island”, was regarded by American and Allied commanders in the Pacific as a key stronghold that would be critical in the subsequent invasion of Okinawa and eventually the Japanese mainland. The seizure of Iwo Jima would be critical in allowing B-29 Superfortress bombers to land in emergencies following missions in the Japanese mainland or Okinawa. In addition, the Japanese were using Iwo Jima as an air base for bombing raids in the U.S. held Mariana Islands and the capture of Iwo would eliminate this problem. However, the cost of nearly 7,000 American lives became an issue and led to controversies of whether the battle could have been avoided. Though seemingly insignificant in the aftermath of the battle, the raising of the flag on Mount Suribachi increased morale on the American homefront. In addition, the intrepidity and heroism shown by the men in the battle left a positive imprint in the U.S. Marine Corps, the U.S. military, and American patriotism for decades to come.
The unofficial bombing of Iwo Jima began in June 1944, days after the European theathers D-Day in Normandy. Constant bombardment of the island by Allied forces left the volcanic island full of unexploded ordnance. This further led to Japanese soldiers and the Imperial Japanese Navy to occupy and reinforce the island from future attacks as well as the engineering and building of the articulate tunnel system that ran through Iwo Jimas innards providing pillboxes and defense from the U.S. Navys bombing. Soon after the bombing began, the empire of Japan sent Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi to command the defense of Iwo Jima. Kuribayashi, knowing that he would not win against an invasion on the island, hoped to at least inflict heavy losses on the American forces; thus slowing down the American advance to the Japanese mainland. Kuribayashis strategy clashed with that of most Japanese military commanders. His military doctrine consisted of creating fortified defenses in the heart of the island, rather than directly repel invading forces on the beaches. In addition, Colonel Takeichi Nishis tank batallion were camouflaged and used as artillery. However, the separation of Mount Suribachi in the south from the northern part of the island would contribute to the victory by American forces.
The invasion of the island, code name Operation Detachment, was set for 19 February 1945 at 09:00. Major General Harry Schmidt had requested for a 10 day continuous shelling of the island before the set date. However, Schmidt was only give three days which was questionable in whether the shelling was sufficient enough in inflicting a heavy amount of damage. Evidently, the shelling did not cause major damage or casualties. As 30,000 U.S. Marines hit the beach on that cloudy day, they were met with hostile fire from all sides as they advanced into the island. Difficulties arose as the intial wave suffered heavy casualties and the clearing of bunkers proved insufficient as the elaborate 11 mile tunnel system allowed men to replace machine gun pillboxes after they were cleared by American flamethrowers. Moreover, heavy artillery mounted on Suribachi would open their steel doors to fire and close them immediately after, making it very difficult for American forces to locate and destroy the artillery guns. In addition, the sulfurous floor of Iwo Jima burned raw skin which made conditions very harsh and difficult to sleep. The fighting was extremely fierce due to the fact that Iwo Jima was the first battle fought on Japanese sacred ground unlike the Mariana Islands or the Solomon Islands which were conquered territories. In the end, of the estimated 18,500 Japanese combatants on the island, about 18,000 had been killed or missing. Many committed ritual suicide